What This Bill Does
This bill allows Victoria Galindo Lopez to become a permanent resident of the United States (a person with the legal right to live in the country permanently). She can apply for permanent residency even if she would normally be ineligible due to previous immigration violations recorded by government agencies.
Who It Affects
Victoria Galindo Lopez, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State and its Visa Office, and the country of Victoria Galindo Lopez's birth.
Key Provisions
- Victoria Galindo Lopez can apply for an immigrant visa (permission to enter and live permanently) or adjust her status to lawful permanent resident despite normal eligibility restrictions (Sec. 1(a))
- If she enters the U.S. before the filing deadline, she will be treated as having entered and remained lawfully and can apply for status adjustment (Sec. 1(b))
- The government cannot remove, deny admission to, or declare ineligible for permanent residency Victoria Galindo Lopez based on any immigration violations in government records as of the law's
What Changes
If enacted, Victoria Galindo Lopez becomes eligible to apply for permanent residency without facing barriers from her past immigration records. Any existing orders to remove or deport her are canceled. One immigrant visa slot for her birth country is reduced permanently.
Important Definitions
Adjustment of status: changing one's legal immigration status to lawfully admitted permanent resident without returning to one's home country. Immigrant visa: official permission to enter and settle permanently in the United States. Lawful permanent resident: a person legally allowed to live in the United States indefinitely.
Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
V
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 616
For the relief of Victoria Galindo Lopez.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 27, 2023
Ms. BROWNLEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
For the relief of Victoria Galindo Lopez.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS FOR VICTORIA
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GALINDO LOPEZ.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding subsections (a)
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and (b) of section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality
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Act, Victoria Galindo Lopez shall be eligible for issuance
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of an immigrant visa or for adjustment of status to that
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of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence
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upon filing an application for issuance of an immigrant
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visa under section 204 of such Act or for adjustment of
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status to lawful permanent resident.
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(b) ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS.—If Victoria Galindo
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Lopez enters the United States before the filing deadline
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specified in subsection (c), she shall be considered to have
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entered and remained lawfully and shall, if otherwise eligi-
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ble, be eligible for adjustment of status under section 245
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of the Immigration and Nationality Act as of the date of
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the enactment of this Act.
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(c) WAIVER OF GROUNDS FOR REMOVAL OR DENIAL
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OF ADMISSION.—
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(1) IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding sections
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212(a) and 237(a) of the Immigration and Nation-
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ality Act, Victoria Galindo Lopez may not be re-
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moved from the United States, denied admission to
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the United States, or considered ineligible for lawful
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permanent residence in the United States by reason
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of any ground for removal or denial of admission
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that is reflected in the records of the Department of
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Homeland Security or the Visa Office of the Depart-
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ment of State on the date of the enactment of this
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Act.
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(2) RESCISSION OF OUTSTANDING ORDER OF
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REMOVAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Security
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shall rescind any outstanding order of removal or de-
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portation, or any finding of inadmissibility or de-
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portability, that has been entered against Victoria
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•HR 616 IH
Galindo Lopez by reason of any ground described in
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paragraph (1).
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(d) DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION AND PAYMENT OF
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FEES.—Subsections (a) and (b) shall apply only if the ap-
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plication for issuance of an immigrant visa or the applica-
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tion for adjustment of status is filed with appropriate fees
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within 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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(e) REDUCTION
OF IMMIGRANT VISA NUMBER.—
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Upon the granting of an immigrant visa or permanent res-
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idence to Victoria Galindo Lopez, the Secretary of State
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shall instruct the proper officer to reduce by 1, during the
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current or next following fiscal year, the total number of
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immigrant visas that are made available to natives of the
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country of the alien’s birth under section 203(a) of the
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Immigration and Nationality Act or, if applicable, the
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total number of immigrant visas that are made available
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to natives of the country of the alien’s birth under section
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202(e) of such Act.
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(f) DENIAL OF PREFERENTIAL IMMIGRATION TREAT-
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MENT FOR CERTAIN RELATIVES.—The natural parents,
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brothers, and sisters of Victoria Galindo Lopez shall not,
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by virtue of such relationship, be accorded any right, privi-
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lege, or status under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
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Æ
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